Coffee before bedtime is not a good idea for most people. That much is known. However, other foods – with and without caffeine, healthy and unhealthy – can hurt sleep.
Sometimes it is difficult to fall asleep despite being very tired. In addition to factors such as the sleeping environment and psychological stress, there are other reasons. Did I eat something wrong? This question comes to mind after a sleepless night. That may well be because certain foods can rob us of sleep.
Diet Affects Our Sleep
Our sleep quality and time to fall asleep are influenced by numerous factors. These include the sleeping environment, sufficient exercise during the day and the psychological stress you are under. But nutrition is also an essential aspect. For example, certain trace elements and vitamin-rich foods can help us fall asleep and stay asleep. B vitamins, for example, are involved in the release of the sleep hormone melatonin. According to studies, the intake of sufficient magnesium and zinc can also have a sleep-promoting effect.
On the other hand, there are also foods whose consumption can disrupt sleep. Anyone who eats a diet high in carbohydrates, fat and calories has more sleep problems than someone who leads a balanced diet. But even foods that are not that unhealthy can disrupt our sleep if consumed before going to bed.
Nine Foods That Can Interfere With Sleep
First of all: Of course everyone is different! And just as some of us can find a restful sleep after an espresso, the foods listed here do not affect everyone equally. So you may find an explanation for your recurring sleep problems right away – for example, in the garlic bread or the large bowl of chocolate ice cream. At the same time, however, you should not be unsettled if you have always had good experiences with the following.
Ginger
No question about it, the tuber is very healthy, and so is your tea. However, the praised properties of ginger – for example, that it gets the metabolism going due to its aromatic substances, which can also help with weight loss – are not precisely in the service of a quiet, restful night’s sleep. Avoiding ginger tea in the evening is better. Dishes strongly flavoured with ginger and ideally also pickled ginger (which is available with sushi). This food could deprive you of sleep.
Tea
Black tea contains a lot of caffeine (often also called tein in tea), which makes you awake for a long time. So please also make sure that herbal tea blends do not contain black tea by chance. The different types of green tea and matcha have a similar effect. What probably only a few suspect: Even nettle tea is not suitable as a bedtime drink! It should also have a stimulating effect.
ALso Read: Digestive Tea – These Varieties Help
Garlic
Garlic is rightly considered a healthy food. Among other things, it should support vascular health and even be effective against stomach diseases. It is best to notice for yourself that it affects the digestive tract. The leek vegetables puff up and often bring a furry, dry mouth and thirst with it. As a result, many people cannot sleep well after eating garlic-containing foods. If you know that you are a bit sensitive here: Better to avoid aioli or garlic bread in the evening.
Spicy Food
As part of a study, an Australian research team had subjects eat spicy foods before bed. It turned out that those of them who had consumed mustard or tabasco either could not fall asleep or spent extremely restless nights with nightmares. 5 The scientific explanation: The alkaloid capsaicin, which gives chilli and Co. their typical spiciness, had changed the body temperature of the test subjects. And, as we know from fever, this can affect sleep.
Alcohol
Admittedly, this is more a pleasure than food. But: A glass or two of wine is part of the dinner for many people. And in fact, many believe that a slight (red wine) swipe makes us sleep like a baby. But that’s only partly true.
Alcohol can be beneficial when falling asleep, but it interferes with sleeping through the night and sleep quality. In addition, there are fewer REM sleep phases and deep sleep phases. During REM sleep, our brain processes everything that has happened during the day and is essential for our concentration, regeneration and general health. 6 The deep sleep phase switches our body to “rest mode.” It is necessary for a physically restful night.
Chocolate
No way, bed treats: high doses of pralines and the like can make it difficult to fall asleep. This is because the theobromine in the cocoa bean is an organic compound structurally related to caffeine with a similar stimulating effect. This is confirmed in an interview with a nutritionist. The cocoa content is higher in dark chocolate, and therefore also theobromine. This fact logically applies to everything that contains chocolate – including hot drinking chocolate, chocolate pudding, chocolate ice cream, chocolate muesli, etc. However, everything depends on how you feel and your metabolism.
Licorice
In the less sweet group, licorice is likely to be a trendy snack. But even here, you might not be doing yourself a favour in terms of sleep quality. High blood pressure patients already know (hopefully) that they should steer clear of the licorice root product, as it can drive up blood pressure. The ” Ärzteblatt ” even warns of a possible “licorice intoxication,” i.e. poisoning that is said to show itself in hypertensive patients (among others) with cardiac arrhythmias.
High blood pressure can also generally deprive healthy people of sleep. So avoid (too much) licorice in the evening.
Also Read: Five Food Habits That Can Damage The Brain
Protein Bars
After a strenuous workout, many athletes like to grab a protein bar to satisfy the initial hunger and provide the body with macronutrients for improved regeneration. Many people probably don’t know: In addition to whey protein, milk protein and soy protein, protein bars – and protein powders – sometimes also caffeine is added. If your workout falls more often in the evenings and you are sensitive to caffeine, these bars may not be the best idea. So if you don’t want to impair your sleep, you should check foods such as protein powders or bars for ingredients
Leaf Salad And Raw Vegetables
Caution must also be exercised with lettuce and raw vegetables. If you overeat just before going to bed, healthy vegetables can put a lot of strain on your digestion. Leaf lettuce and raw vegetables have a lot of fibre. In our intestines, gases can be produced as a by-product during digestion. Flatulence and intestinal cramps caused by the food then deprive us of sleep.
As with all of the above foods, it depends on the individual feeling. Anyone who has never had problems eating whole lettuce before bed should keep doing it.